Real Madrid recently were forced to shut Kylian Mbappe down due to a left knee injury that he had been playing through, but with recurring pain and worries about serious aggravation, the club and the player made the wise and necessary decision to stop pushing it.
Mbappe thus had to miss a huge match in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Manchester City, bu thanks to a hat trick from midfielder Fede Valverde, he did not end up being missed.
Still, Mbappe is crucial to Real and has been one of the best players in the world again this season, scoring goals and providing great all around play, so having him back as soon as it is healthy for him to do so would be huge.
And now, French outlet RMC Sport is reporting that the light at the end of the tunnel is near for Kylian. The Real Madrid No. 10 is reportedly feeling good and targeting a return for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Manchester City. He will undergo testing soon to confirm his return.
However, RMC Sport also report that Mbappe is in play to return for France during the upcoming March international break at the end of the month, which would be a blow to Madrid fans if he were to risk injury and return for meaningless games for his national team.
Real Madrid are up 3-0 over Manchester City in the Champions League, too, so they do not need him back for that. But they do need him to be healthy for the full remainder of the season, avoiding aggravation for a La Liga title battle with Barcelona and the remaining high stakes Champions League knockout fixtures.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.